Human words can only be ''about'' something. For instance, a book on the
solar system

a. can literally be the solar system, and
not just human words ''about'' the solar system.b. can not literally be the solar system,
but only human words ''about'' the solar system.c. can partly be the solar system, and
partly can be human words ''about'' the solar system.

The Bible was written by human authors who were inspired by the Holy
Spirit. Through those human authors, God himself speaks ''one single
Word'' - his only-begotten Son, Christ. [CCC 102] Thus, when a believer
reads the Bible, he receives

a. just like any other book, because it is
merely our words ''about'' something.b. not like any other book, because it is
really our words ''about'' God.c. not like any other book, because it is
not merely our words ''about'' God.

a. is a reminder of the Christ you receive
from hearing or reading the Bible.b. is the same Christ you receive from
hearing or reading the Bible.c. is not the same Christ you receive from
hearing or reading the Bible.

The Bible is like no other book. It is not merely human words ''about''
something - not even human words ''about'' God. There are many books, from
many religious traditions (including Catholic books), that are human words
''about'' God. Many of these have some value. Some of them, written by
great Catholic saints, have great value, and can genuinely help us move
closer to Christ. These spiritual and theological books have been publicly
praised by popes and bishops, and read for hundreds of years both by other
great saints and by ordinary sinners. The bishops even quote from many of
these writings of the saints in the Catechism itself.

But nothing else ever written is, or can ever be, the Bible.

Among all religious or spiritual books ever written or ever to be
written, only the Bible literally is God's Word - Christ himself.

This is why at Mass the Church does not read a single word from the
writings of even the most holy and learned saints - but only the
Bible.

At Mass, we receive the whole Christ, the bread of life, ''taken from the
one table of God's Word and Christ's Body.'' [CCC 103] One table, one
Word, one Body - one crucified and risen Lord. <<

Unlike any other book, when you hear or read the Bible, you receive - in
every word of both the Old and New Testaments - a person, Christ himself.
That changes everything, of course.

But it also brings up a question: is Christ one single person? Is the
Christ you receive in the Bible identical to the Christ you receive in the
Holy Eucharist, is he truly the Son of God, and is he the exact same Jesus
whose mother is Mary, who lived in Galilee, and who died on the Cross? The
Catholic Church is very, very firm on this point: the answer is yes.
Christ is one person - not two, not partly one person and partly another.
He is one person. <<

a. God is the Person who wrote the actual
words in the Bible.b. the human authors of the Bible are not
true authors of the Bible.c. the human authors of the Bible perfectly
cooperated with God's intentions.

When the Catholic Church says that the Bible is ''inspired,'' she does
not mean that God simply dictated the words of the Bible to the human
authors. The human authors of the Bible are ''true authors'' who used
their own words and abilities, but perfectly cooperated with God's
intentions by the power of the Holy Spirit. [CCC 106] When the Church
calls the Bible inspired, she means that, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
when we hear or read the Bible in faith, we with absolute certainty
receive the person God intended us to receive - the real, true Word of
God, Christ. <<